What To Bake This Weekend
Bank Holiday! 3 days! Let's go!
Another bank holiday weekend? Oh go on then…
As is tradition on this newsletter, I always take the bank holiday weekend as an opportunity to tempt you into bakes that are *ahem* slightly more time consuming than the average. I realise that I am lucky enough to have an international readership, so file this round-up away for a rainy (or, sunny actually, since the warm weather has encouraged me to include summery bakes!) day.
There are two ways to do a bank holiday: Get out, or bed in. The former refers to minibreaks, short trips (as I am doing this weekend to Ireland for a brief visit). The latter is when you decide to stay at home and enjoy the spaciousness of the 3 day weekend - sorting out the cupboards, clearing the garden, sleeping in and, of course, baking.
MY COVER STAR CAKE!
Before we get into the round-up, I’m really excited to share that right now, on newsstands across the country, my cake is on the cover of a magazine! Yes, the FT Weekend Magazine, a supplement of FT weekend has its food & drink special and I’m so thrilled to be a part of it. Resplendent with pantheon-core decor and a perfect, rich crumb, it’s such an honour! It was styled by Charlotte Fuller and photographed by Aaron Graubart
I had the absolute joy of hosting the genius writer, author, fellow substacker and self-proclaimed ‘i’m-a-cook-not-a-baker’ Ella Risbriger at my home last month. We spent the day baking together - it was my hope to connect the dots of the ‘why’ of baking, explain the tenets of what makes a successful recipe and how everyone can bake!
You can read the feature online here, or go and pick up a copy of the newspaper everywhere to find out what happened! :)
The ‘Anything’ Cake
One part of this feature, and the cake that you see on the cover, is my ‘anything’ cake. This is a recipe that I’ve developed to pretty much always work. A tried and tested combination of fat, sugar, eggs, flour and ‘stuff’ - liquids, dairy, bananas, you name it - as a jumping off point for making your own cakes.
From coconut cake to a chocolate banana loaf to the almondy citrus cake you see on the cover, it’s an ingredient matrix that I hope will fill you with confidence to try your own combinations. I had originally conceived this recipe for SIFT, but it didn’t quite make it in! I’ve written about the development of this recipe for KP+, so click here to read it:
As I was writing this, I really felt in a savoury mood - there’s something about making bread over a couple of days that really appeals to me. Of course, there’s some sweet options, too, but hopefully some of these tempt you.
Leek & Mustard Tart
Sifties among us, this is my call to action to please make the leek & mustard tart from my book SIFT, pg 174! Not only is it SO delicious, it needs photos! I’m planning to do a round-up of all the bakes, so please do make it, enjoy it and tag me.
Simple French Fruit Tart
Last year I had the joy of going to a friend-of-a-friend’s house for lunch in France - Monique showed us the joy of a simple fruit tart and took the fear away of baking these for me. Keep it simple, or use her 2 minute custardy filling for the most gorgeous centrepiece for summer fruit,
Tomato & Fennel Tart Tatin
One of my favourites in SIFT - check it out on page 167. Serve with a sharp green salad and you are in for a total treat. You can use flaky pastry for a tart tatin, but don’t sleep on using shortcrust! As I found out on my trip to france, using flaky pastry is actually a relatively recent or fancy way to enjoy a tart tatin - classic shortcrust is just as good.
Super Airy Bread
This is not just any bread, it’s the most outrageous of all the holey breads: 100% hydration bread aka ‘glass bread’ or pan de cristal. It’s a feat of dough engineering, honestly, and a great project for the weekend, ESPECIALLY for the toppings and sandwich potential. Just look at a few of these:
In this newsletter, I teach you about the go-no-go changes you can make to recipes, how to develop strength and importance of steam in baking.
Elderflower Iced buns
It’s elderflower cordial time - get yourself foraging. This is a low effort, high reward activity that also gets you outside! In this edition, I guide you through the theories about making a great infusion as well as what sugar ratios work best for cordials. From hot vs cold infusions, to using just the flowers to the entire head with stems, I’ve got you covered. I also explored the world of how to hydrate doughs using cordial which imparts a more intense aroma into these classic iced buns.
Dramatic Trifle
First developed for a royal occasion a few years ago, these are SO much fun to make and share with friends and family. Whether you make the totally avant garde inside out trifle or whether the Trifle Eleganza™ aka jelly and custard slab cake is more up your street, these are fun, baking projects that will leave you smiling. Click here to make it
Focaccia three ways
Which way is best? You tell me! I’m so lucky to have a series of focaccia recipes on this newsletter. From super thick, bubbly and airy (in SIFT, page 280) to thin and crispy, to classic ligurian, it’s time to pick your favourite. Each newsletter will teach you about dough strengthening and flavour building techniques. From cold proofing to pre-ferments, these recipes put you in control of your dough’s destiny. What could be better than that?
I also highly recommend this thin n crispy version aka ‘Strecci’, which is a simpler dough but but still bursting with olive oil and flavour. Perfect for garden dinners. Click here for the recipe.
Custard panna cotta ft. Roasted Strawbs
The best strawberries are still to come I think, so if you find yourself with a disappointing punnet, please do yourself a favour and roast them to make these incredibly rich tasting, jammy fruits with the most incredible syrup. Served here with custard panna cotta, it’s a dream make ahead dessert for having friends over.
And don’t forget.. it’s Mango Season!
If you’ve managed to snag yourself a box of beautiful mangoes, look no further than this mango index to inspire you. Ice cream, sorbet, cakes, creams and salsas, my crystal ball sees a lot of mango in your future.
What gorgeous photos for your delicious recipes. Not long now before your book is available here in Australia
It’s MEMORIAL DAY where we remember our soldiers who died in defense of their country. A bank holiday is far subservient to that…